Air conditioning apparatus



May 15, 1951 H. R. ROGANT AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 20, 1946 INVENTOR. #uMBERT A? AaaA/vr ATTORNEY May 15, 1951H. R. ROGANT 2,553,278

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1a 1% 1if I N V EN TOR. 170M512??? 1Q Roam/r A TTORNE) Patented May 15, 19 51UNITED STATES ATE-NT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to air conditioning apparatus, more particularly toapparatus that may be used in combination with a heating source, or maybe used separately, and the principal object of my invention is toprovide new and improved air conditioning apparatus of the characterdescribed.

The invention has great utility for emergency or auxiliary heating, andthus has application any place where heat is required. For example, inwarmer climates, a great many residences have no central heating system,and in those that have, the system is usually inadequate for relativelysevere temperature drops. In many cases, in such warmer climates,although it is warm during the daytime, the evenings becomeuncomfortably cold, and heat is required to dispel the chill. 'Theresident, if he has a central heating system, is compelled to start suchsystem, or if without such system, must use presently available heatingdevices which have been found to be unsafe and inadequate.

Likewise, in the colder climates, especially during the spring and fallof the year, a resident hesitates to start the central heating systembecause of sharp fluctuations of temperatures. Also, in severe coldspells, the heating system may be inadequate, and may requiresupplementary heating means.

Quite frequently, housewives have lighted the kitchen stove to dispelthe chill in the house, but this is far from satisfactory, sinceconvection causes heat to rise, thus providing a condition wherein onlya portion of the room is warm, and the remainder is cold.

My invention provides a heating device which may be readily and easilypositioned on a stove or other heat source. Usually, although notrestrictively, my heating device may be positioned on the top of akitchen stove or range, and in this respect the invention has universalapplication, since practically every residence is provided with acooking stove. Also, in this respect, my invention is particularlyadaptable for use in apartments, where occupants of certain apartmeritsdesire more heat than the central heating plant provides. In thisrespect, great economy of fuel may be effected, since the centralheating plant of an apartment building may be set to deliver a certainamount of heat which may be sufficient for ordinary usage, and persons,such as the sick, invalid or the like, may supplement this heat to theirrequirements by use of my invention.

- Further, inpractically all climatesparticularly during certainseasons, the evenings may be uncomfortably chilly, yet the days may beuncomfortably warm. My invention may be used in both cases, incombination with a heat source to dispel chill, and separately as ablower unit to move air in the manner of a fan.

In the drawings accompanying this application, and forming part of thisspecification, there is shown, for purposes of illustration, anembodiment which this invention may assume, and in these drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention asapplied to the top of a cooking stove, a portion of the embodiment beingbroken away to better show its relation with the heating means of thestove,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the embodimentshown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the embodiment, a portion being brokenaway to show the interior, and I Figure 4 is a small scale sideelevational view of the embodiment, showing a position it may assumewhen not in use, or when in useas a lower.

Referring to the drawings, the embodiment herein shown to disclose theinvention comprises a housing It which may have a lower portion ll ofgenerally polyhedric formation, and an upper portion l2 in the generalshape of a frustrum of a pyramid. However, it will be understood thatthe housing may take any desired shape or form other than that hereinshown.

The lower portion H has an opening I3 at itsbase, and is preferablyformed with a beaded edge M for strength and safety purposes. Thehousing is adapted for position with a heating source, and in theembodiment herein shown, such source is a gas-type cooking stove I5.

The usual cooking stove has two or more heating means grouped together,and the housing [0 may cooperate with one or more of such heating means.As shown in Figure l, the housing 10 covers four gas burners IE (onlytwo of which are shown), the burners being adapted to heat the interiorof the housing.

As best seen in Figure 2, a grid it, which may be of cast ironconstruction, is disposed inwardly of the opening it, and divides thehousing into a first compartment l8 entered through the opening and asecond compartment l9 separated from the first compartment by the gridll. The grid may have a series of pockets 28 formed therein to collectheat and to provide greater radiating surface. Preferably, the grid llhas a plurality of ears 2| which are secured to the walls of the housingID, as by means of nut and bolt connections 22. It will be obvious, withthe heating device as shown in Figure 1, that the heat from the heatingmeans of the heat source will be directed against the grid H.

The upper portion I2 of the housing is formed with means providing foringress and egress of air. In the embodiment shown, louvers 23 in thetop and sides of the upper portion I2 provide for ingress of air, andlouvers 24 in the sides of the upper portion l2 provide for egress ofair.

The louvers 24 are preferably formed in less than all the sides of theupper portion, and in the case of a four-sided figure, two louvers 24 inadjoining sides, as shown in Figure 1, are preferred, so heat may beespecially directed to any desired parts of the room by correspondingadjustment of the housing on the stove.

The louvers 2 are preferably of the airdispersing type, and as best seenin Figure 2, each comprises a series of nested conical vanes heldtogether and within the opening in the housing in any suitable manner,such as by cross ribs 25. As seen by the arrows in Figure 2, the louvers24 disperse the heated air not only upwardly but also generallyhorizontally so as to generally reach all parts of the room.

Carried by the top of the upper portion i2 is an electric motor 25, andsecured to the shaft of the motor, interiorly of the compartment 59, isa fan propeller 2?. The motor 25 may be connected to any suitable sourceof electric current, and a switch 28, actuated by a thermostat 29, ofstandard construction, controls operation of the motor. The thermostatis preferably set so that the motor is energized only when sufficientheat is built up in the compartment i 9, so as to prevent the blowing ofunheated air into the room. The switch and thermostat are carried by abracket 35 supported from a wall of the housing iii, tubing 3|protecting the wiring within the housing.

In operation, with the heating device, as shown in Figure 1, positionedso that the bead i4 rests on the top of a stove and circumscrioes theburners i8, and with one or more of the burners in operation, heat risesinto the compartment I 8 and impinges against the grid I1. is thusheated, and heats the air in the compartment it by radiation andconduction.

When the temperature in the compartment Li reaches a, desired amount,the thermostat 293 will close the switch 28 so as to cause'energizationof the motor 26. Air is drawn into the louvers 23 and is moved intoengagement with the heated grid. The fan builds up a pressure in thecompartment It so as to force the heated air outwardly of the louvers 24and into the room with some velocity. If the temperature in thecompartment l9 should drop below the desired amount, the thermostat 29will open the switch 28 to deenergize the motor 25 until heat is againbuilt up in the compartment 9.

Since the heating device will not be in use all the time, the housing i9is provided with handle means and leg means to facilitate itstransportation and its disposition on a surface other than as shown inFigure 1. In the embodiment herein shown, a handle 32 is formed oftubular stock, having its ends bent and formed with screw receiving lugs33 which receive screws 34 passing through apertures in the housing ill.The feet in this instance are readily formed by The grid four balls 35positioned on a side generally opposite to the side carrying the handle32. The balls 35 are disposed in pairs, one pair at each end of theside, as seen in Figure 3. Each of the balls 35 is formed with acountersunk hole to pass a screw 35 which secures the respective ball tothe housing.

The housing is attractively finished, and it may be supported upright onits feet 35 as shown in Figure 4, on the floor or any other supportingsurface, either near the stove, or in any other suitable place.

In the event of a warm day or evening, the thermostat 29 may be adjustedso as to maintain the switch 28 constantly closed, and the device may beused as a cooling blower. In this event, the device is preferablysupported by its feet 35, and may be conveniently moved to any positionin the room.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention,and it also will be apparent to those skilled in the art that theembodiment herein disclosed may be variously changed and modified,without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that theinvention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specificallydescribed; hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosedembodiment is illustrative only, and that my invention is not limitedthereto.

Iclaim:

1. A heating device, comprising: open-ended housing means adapted tohave its open end rest on a stove surface in position so that heat fromthe burner means of said stove is directed into said opening; partitionmeans spaced inwardly of said opening and extending transversely of saidhousing to divide said housing means into upper and lower compartmentswhich are disposed on opposite sides of said partition means, the lowercompartment being in free communication with said opening and therebybeing adapted to receive heat from said burner means, said partitionmeans having abutting engagement with said housing means to closecommunication between said upper and lower compartments so thatobjectionable fumes and products of combustion from said burner meansare restricted against passage from the lower compartment to the uppercompartment, said upper compartment having air inlet and outlet openingmeans; and air moving means for drawing air through said inlet openingmeans and exhausting it from said outlet opening means.

2. A heating device, comprising: open-ended housing means adapted tohave its open end rest on a stove surface in position so that heat fromthe burner means of said stove is directed into a said opening,partition means spaced inwardly of said opening and extendingtransversely of said housing means to divide said housing means intoupper and lower compartments which are disposed on opposite sides ofsaid partition means, the lower compartment being in free communicationwith said opening and thereby being adapted to receive heat from saidburner means, said partition means having abutting engagement with saidhousing means to close communication between said upper and lowercompartments so that objectionable fumes and products of combustion fromsaid burner means are restricted against passage from the lowercompartment to the upper compartment, said upper compartment having airinlet and outlet opening means; and air moving means within said uppercompartment for drawing air through said inlet opening means anddirecting it toward and into engagement with said partition means, theoutlet opening means being positioned out of the movement of suchincoming air so that air from said other compartment is exhaustedtherefrom by air pressure built up therein.

3. A heating device, comprising: open-ended housing means adapted tohave its open end rest on a stove surface in position so that heat fromthe burner means of said stove is directed into said opening; grid meansspaced inwardly of said opening and extending transversely of saidhousing means to divide said housing means into compartments which aredisposed on opposite sides of said grid means, said grid means providinga recessed surface on each side thereof for efficient heat transferenceand for preventing smooth air flow thereacross, one of said compartmentsbeing in free communication with said opening and thereby being adaptedto receive heat from said burner means, said grid means havingengagement with said housing means to preclude free gaseouscommunication between said compartments so that objectionable fumes andproducts of combustion from said burner are restricted against freepassage to the other of said compartments, said other compartment havingair inlet and outlet opening means; and air moving means for drawing airthrough said inlet opening means and exhausting it from said outletopening means.

a A heating device, comprising: open-ended housing means adapted to haveits open end rest on a stove surface in position so that heat from theburner means of said stove is directed into said opening; grid meansspaced inwardly of said opening and extending transversely of saidhousing means to divide said housing means into compartments which aredisposed on opposite sides of said grid means, said grid means providinga recessed surface on each side thereof for efiicient heat transferenceand for preventing smooth air flow thereacross, one of said compartmentsbeing in free communication with said opening and thereby being adaptedto receive heat from said burner means, said grid means havingengagementwith said housing means to preclude free gaseous communication betweensaid compartments so that objectionable fumes and products of combustionare restricted against free passage to the other of said compartments,said other compartment having air inlet and outlet opening means; andair moving means for drawing air through said inlet opening means anddirecting it toward and into engagement with said partition means, theoutlet opening means being positioned out of the movement of suchincoming air so that air from said other compartment is exhaustedtherefrom by air pressure built up therein.

HUMBERT R. ROGANT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 336,392 Converse Feb. 16, 1886608,386 Tourville Aug. 2, 1898 1,380,135 Corbin May 31, 1921 1,798,290Winner et a1 Mar. 31, 1931 1,850,822 Young Mar. 22, 1932 1,884,634 EmansOct. 25, 1932 1,916,297 Bright July 4, 1933 2,021,462 Panaro Nov. 19,1935 2,083,145 Campbell June 8, 1937 2,088,280 Schillinger July 27, 19372,369,972 Meagher Feb. 20, 1945

